Mice and humans live in close proximity. This leads to conflict: we experience nuisances and actively combat these rodents. But is that always necessary? The Natural History Museum Rotterdam has collected mice that met their ends in the most improbable ways: trapped inside (the handle of) a paint roller, drowned in olive oil, electrocuted in a stove, crushed between brake discs, or entangled in a net of organic lemons. Driven by curiosity and hunger, and marked by bad luck, they found themselves in absurd and ultimately fatal situations.
The mini-exhibition ‘Ill-Fated Mice’ showcases a diverse collection of rodents and insectivores that met remarkable ends. Their misadventures took place in a classroom, a student dorm, a garage, an electrical panel, and even in the Dutch Houses of Parliament. They offer a poignant glimpse into the relationship between humans and animals and show how animals collide with the environment we create and pollute.
‘Ill-Fated Mice’ — curated and written by Kees Moeliker and produced by Bart Aalbers — is on display in the Natural History Museum Rotterdam, until October 25, 2026.
The photo here shows a house mouse (Mus musculus) trapped and mummified in a paint roller handle; 28 February 2021, Ouddorp, the Netherlands (NMR999000178418).